Abby Choi murder case: Former husband and in-laws stand trial

A murder trial began Monday for the former husband and in-laws of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi more than three years after the discovery of parts of her dismembered body at a house shocked the city where violent crime is rare.

Abby Choi's former husband and in-laws go on trial

Choi's ex-husband Alex Kwong, his father Kwong Kau and his brother Anthony Kwong were accused of killing Choi in February 2023. They face life imprisonment if convicted of murder. They were also charged with preventing the lawful burial of a body.All three defendants wore masks and appeared calm in court. Kwong Kau was in a white T-shirt, while his sons wore suits.

About Abby Choi's murder

Police in 2023 said they found some body parts inside the unit at a village in Tai Po, a suburban district in Hong Kong.

Police found Abby's remains in a rental unit. Her dismembered legs were reportedly found a fride, while some of her belongings including her credit card and ID were also found in the unit, according to local broadcaster RTHK.Alan Chung, the superintendent of the regional police's crime department, had told reporters that not all of Choi's body parts had been discovered. "We are still looking for the head. There are also other body parts that are missing, for example, the torso area, the hands, so we believe the suspect has already disposed of the body parts already."

Police later confirmed on that a skull and several ribs had then been found in a cooking pot in the fridge at the same Tai Po residence where other body parts had been previously discovered. According to RTHK, police said that forensics experts identified a hole in the skull that was caused by a hard object, which is believed to be the cause of her death.A meat slicer, an electric saw and some clothing were also found at the residence, CNN reported.Officers later searched a landfill for evidence.

Who was Abby Choi?

Choi was a 28-year-old socialite who shared her glamorous life of photo shoots and fashion shows on Instagram. Days before her death, she posted about attending a Dior show at Paris Fashion Week.Choi's killing transfixed many in the Asian financial hub that has a very low level of violent crime. Dozens of people waited outside the courtroom for the hearing to start, and a live broadcast was arranged for people to watch outside it.Choi had two children with Alex Kwong. She remarried after their divorce and had two younger children with her second husband.The prosecution is expected to open its case at a later date. The jury trial is expected to last 45 days.